The cartoon depicts Lord John Russell assisting the chief, Lord Aberdeen, as if they are Irish washer-women having to clean up the mess in Parliament late in the autumn of 1854, probably by dismissing some ministers and conducting enquiries into the logistical and health support problems In the Crimean camps.

Image courtesy of the Irving K. Barber
Learning Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or
educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the person who scanned the image and the University of British Columbia and
(2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]

Immediately below the cartoon, Punch inserted a protest against the government's refusal to “allow any more correspondents to the army, because these newspapers correspondents have hitherto been in the habit of anticipating by several days the contents of the Government despatches. What a woman's spite is this! They will be wishing next to keep the despatches secret altogether.” Note the casual misogyny of the comment in country ruled by Queen Victoria!.